Crystal Mountain Ski Vacations If you are in or near Washington State, you should definitely check out Crystal Mountain. With an elevation of 7004 feet and a vertical drop of 3102 feet, Crystal Mountain actually sits below Mount Rainier, which has a top elevation of 14,408 feet. Between the months of November and April, several feet of fresh powder falls on Crystal Mountain, due to the cold Cascade storms common to the area. This is rough terrain, and there is little offered to beginners as far as the ease of the trails go. But lessons are available, as well as rentals for skis and other equipment. At Crystal Mountain, there are more than 2300 acres and fifty trails, making this the largest ski area in the state of Washington. There are ten lifts available: 2 high speed six passenger lifts, 2 high speed quads, 2 triple chairs, 3 double chairs, and 1 children`s surface lift. The season runs from the middle of November to the middle of April, when the most snow fall is experienced. There are several places to choose for lodging, meals, and nightly entertainment, but the biggest attraction is the skiing, of course. The Crystal Mountain Express Buss service runs on weekends from the middle of December to the middle of March. You will be picked up from your lodge and dropped off at the base plaza where you can begin a full day of fun on the slopes. After a day of skiing, you should definitely head over to East Peak Massage & Fitness to take advantage of the hot tub, sauna, showers, and even the game room. Massages are also available, with a reservation. If your kids aren`t quite ready for the black diamond trails, but you are, you can register them in the Kid`s Club. The Kid`s Club is open from 8am to 4pm each day for children aged four to eleven years old. The kid`s aged 4 to 11 will be supervised while they ski on a kid appropriate slope, and snowboarding is also available for children aged 7 to 11 years old. Your child will have fun, while being supervised and taught. The cost of the care includes a four hour lesson, a lift ticket, lunch, and supervision. Rental equipment is available for the kids for an additional fee. Everyone has fun at Crystal Mountain. It is a great place for a family vacation, but again, the slopes are more for intermediate skiers and expert skiers although beginners will have fun as well. Just use good sense, and avoid trails that you don`t feel like you`re ready for.

Are you worried about planning your next trip? Know that your trip need not be stressful. This article will make traveling less stressful on you. If you utilize a public computer when traveling, avoid using it to do any financial work, such as doing banking or checking the balance on your credit card. Public computers may have keyloggers installed on them so that once you log into your bank account, whoever installed the keylogger then has access to the account as well. When you plan a trip, taking a digital camera that fits your trip is a good idea. If you’re going backpacking, a camera with a rechargeable battery might not be the best idea. Make sure the camera starts and focuses quickly so you capture every shot. Look for a hotel that offers free parking and stay overnight leaving from a port city, on a cruise. Ask the staff of the hotel if there are any unpublished parking deals. Exercise before you get on the airplane. Long flights are found to be hard on the body, try and do some stretching beforehand. It`s a good idea to do some walking in the aisles on board the plane, don`t just sit there for the whole time. Always keep in mind where your belongings are, and keep your most important items in a place you always have access to. If you are carrying a handbag, be sure to keep it near your person. Avoid the use of bags with zippers that will provide thieves with easy access. Keep this in mind when buying a travel bag. Give the travel itinerary of your trip to someone at home, someone should know your location. For the sake of your safety, always keep in touch with this person too. If someone at home has regular contact with you they won`t worry so much. Ask about renovations when reserving your room. There are few things more annoying than waking to the sound of construction equipment while you are enjoying a vacation. The noise is something that the staff will not be able to do anything about, so it is better to avoid visiting that hotel during the dates in question. Taking sleeping pills will help you get though a long journey. Most people find it hard to sleep on planes, because the seats aren’t beds, and are uncomfortable. If the journey is long enough possibly a sleeping pill will make the flight easier. If you use traveler’s checks, try cashing them before eating or shopping. While it is true that most places accept traveler’s checks, they are difficult to work with. You could get shorted by using them, so be safe and get local currency. Take the time to subscribe to e-newsletters of major airlines. You will be the first to hear about discounts, special deals and last-minute offers through these e-newsletters. The potential savings makes it worth handing out your email address. When you take a youngster on a trip, plan to make stops…